This invention relates to drinking containers, particularly to flexible drinking containers of the type typically used for cycling and other sports activities.
Flexible drinking containers, commonly known as water bottles, are used for many sports and outdoor activities such as cycling, running and hiking. These containers conventionally have a body made of a flexible material such as polyethylene. There is a neck on the body, usually having male threads. A closure member, or cap, has complementary female threads and is removably fitted on the body. There is a spout on the closure member provided with a slidable stopper.
When the stopper is pushed towards the closure member, fluid is prevented from leaving or entering the container. When a person wants to drink liquid held by the container, the stopper is pulled outwardly and the container is usually tipped with the nipple pointing downwardly into or towards the mouth. The user squeezes the container and forces the liquid out of the spout into his or her mouth. After drinking a quantity of liquid, the container is returned to the upright position and released. The container expands outwardly, drawing air into the container through the spout.
Often the container is filled with water or other liquds which may be obtained from dubious sources. In addition, many people do not wish to drink untreated or unfiltered tap water. As a result, there is a need for filtering or treating water in such containers before it is consumed. It might be possible to fit a filter onto the spout of such a container, for example. However, while such a filter would filter liquid squeezed from the container, it would impede air from returning into the container after it is uprighted. Air might eventually pass through the filter, but it would be slowed and would mean that be user could not immediately take another drink after the first one because of the interval required to refill the container with air.
As a result, there is a need for an improved device for filtering or treating liquds dispensed by such sports containers.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved filtering device adapted for use in conjunction with flexible, sports water containers.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved filtering device for sports water containers which filters or treats water squeezed from the container, but does not impede a return flow of air into the container.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved filtering device for sports water containers which is economical to produce and rugged and reliable in operation.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved filtering device for sports water containers where the filter is not contaminated by particles in air which enters the container.